Cloud Nine
by play-the-game-long-enough
Summary: Songfic. A sentimental account of Harry and Ginny's wedding.


Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his compatriots do not belong to me, (sniffle, sniffle) and "Wild World" belongs to Cat Stevens. So basically I own nothing except my cat.

_Italics_-song

Regular-story

* * *

><p>The table overflowed with steaming dishes of her wonderful cooking. The room was full to the seams with her family and their simultaneous chatter was creating a din so loud, she could barely hear herself think. In the past, this ruckus would have driven her crazy but now, she just let it wash over her. The joy in her heart to have her whole family under one roof was over powering. The danger was over and now, they could live out the lives that they had been promised at birth. In turn, her eyes fell over each of her children and took in their happy looks. Each of them, with their own families surrounding them, now had nothing to worry about beyond their child's runny noses. They all had no left the shelter of the mother wing and created their own nests. They all had moved on except her youngest, her daughter.<p>

Her daughter, her eyes searched for the slim waif girl who was the only baby left in her home. Soon, she spotted the head covered in bouncy, red curls bowed close to that of a young man who had, over the years, become a sixth son to her. The two seemed to be completely lost in heir own world, completely oblivious to the happy chaos surrounding them. They were deeply entrenched in what looked like a very serious conversation. After a few moments of he boy's whisperings, a soft smile spread over her daughter's mouth and she agreed with a slight nod. Their lips met to seal the agreement and slipping her hand in his they tried in vain to get the attention of the burbling crowd.

"Oi," her daughter finally yelled after her more demure attempts to gain attention failed, "Hey, we have an announcement to make."

The irritation in her daughter's voice and her flushed cheeks combined with the volume level in the yell, quieted everyone down instantly. She was surprised as the speed that a group of 23 people could shut up. Of course, when her children had been young, the threat of her temper had been enough to terrify them into silence, and it seemed that she had handed her boiling temper down to her daughter.

"So now that you've all decided to shut up," a tinkle of laughter in her daughter's voice showed that her comment was purely out of fun, "We have an announcement to make," her daughter glanced lovingly to the young man next to her and passed the floor to him.

"Well, as you all know, we've been together for several years now and we've decided to take it to the next level. We're getting married," the young man announced, effusing love and triumph.

A general cry of joy sounded throughout the crowded, tiny kitchen. A large diamond was revealed on her daughter's fourth finger, and she was passed around between the women, gazing and admiring. The men thumped their almost brother on the back and shot hollow, joking threats about the well being of their "young", baby sister. She pulled back and watched her daughter's joy form a solitary corner, forgotten and rather tired.

Out of the chaos and celebration a soft voice spoke to her, "Mum? Mum, are you alright?"

She glanced up and found herself looking into her daughter's chocolate eyes, "Of course dearest. I'm so happy for you. Don't worry about me," she wrapped her arms around her daughter and gave her a swift hug.

Satisfied, the woman, who had been so recently her baby, detached for her and rejoined the commotion. She felt a sad smile stretch across her mouth and she simply watched her daughter's joy, abandoned and alone.

Later that night, after her house had emptied, all of her children to their own houses, she wandered her old, well loved, well worn house, remembering the pattering feet of children now grown to adults. Her daughter's announcement had left her feeling hollow and alone. All of her babies had grown and left her. They no longer needed their mother to kiss their skinned knees, or mend torn clothes, they had their spouses, friends, and girlfriends for that. What good was a mother when they had their lovers waiting at home for them.

These musings had lead her around the house, from room to room indiscriminately. She paid very little to attention to where hr feet were leading her until she reached her daughter's bedroom. She stood in the doorway of the room where her baby daughter had grown up and lived for almost twenty years. Smiling softly, she remembered bringing the little, pink bundle home. Her daughter was the only one of her children who never had to share or change rooms. This room had bee the girl's refuge over the years. Her daughter had been able to escape the constant chaos, taunting of her brothers, and sorrows of the heart there. Of course, her daughter hadn't actually lived in the room for several years but the essence of the girl still clung to the room. Deep down, she had hoped that maybe her daughter would come back to the house of her childhood. A sob caught in her throat as she realized that her last child was completely grown up and not coming back to her nest. Soon her daughter would have her own family to raise and be a part of.

She sat on her daughter's bed in the haunting room much longer than he had intended. She loitered in the room so long, in fact, that her husband came looking for her. He quietly walked into the soft, girlish room. His wife was sitting at the foot of he mal, lacy bed, her face buried in her hands. After all these years it still amazed him how the gentle curve of her neck still mad his breath catch in his throat for the beauty of it. And every though her fiery hair had been muted with tones of gray, it still shimmered with the passion and vitality their love had always encapsulated. He strode across the small room and sat down next to her. He reached his large, worn hand up, and laid it gently on her neck, tangling the fingers in the curls that had escaped from the order of her tidy.  
>bun.<p>

"My love, what is it," he asked, his deep voice almost a whisper.

She looked into the ocean blue eyes of her longtime love, "She's leaving me. My baby girl is going to get married. She's not my baby anymore."

"Oh, is that what this is all about? My love, my dear, dear love, she hasn't lived here in years. She's not leaving us, she's just getting married. She'll always be our daughter."

"No that's not it. She's grown up now. She's going to start a family of her own soon. I'm always going to be her mother, yes, but I'm no longer going to be the first one she comes running to when she crapes her knee. Now she's got him to mend those scrapes. And soon she's going to little knees of her own to kiss."

Overwhelmed by his wife's gentle, bittersweet sadness he said nothing. Instead he wrapped his arm around her and let her cry her tears on his shoulder. He also let a single tear run down his cheek with thoughts about his daughter.

_Now that I've lost everyone but you  
>You say that you wanna start something new<br>And it's breakin my hear you're leaving  
>Baby, I'm grieving<em>

Sitting on the purple, velvet chaise, she had to force down the butterflies that were doing gymnastics in her stomach. She ha d to wonder what in the world was taking so long. She couldn't possibly thin what in her life had taken longer, except the birth of her children. That might have been the only, or one of the only things more important than this day.

"OK, I'm coming out now," a girlish voice called, followed by the swish of satin.

The butterflies stopped cold, as did her breath and her heart for a moment. Before her was no longer the little girl with carroty plaits, now her daughter had changed. Her daughter was a woman, standing before her in wedding robes and she wasn't sure that she ever wanted those plaits or little girl to come back. Now that she saw her daughter as the vision that she was, there was no imagining her another way. Her daughter was going to get married.

Reflected back to the young bride, in the massive mirrors was everything she had hoped for and so much more than she had expected. The sleeveless, white robes clung to her in all of the right places and shimmered to the floor, pooling at her tiny feet. She ran her equally small hands over the shimmery, silky material, amazed at its perfection and simplicity. This was her wedding gown and it was her heart's desire.

She turned from her entrancing reflection, wiping he errant tear from her flustered cheek and whispered to her mother, "Well Momma, what do you think?"

The brown eyes that her daughter had inherited, filled with tears and crushing the girl in a hug, murmured, "Its perfect baby of mine, just perfect."

The soft clearing of a throat broke mother and daughter apart. There was a hasty wiping of tears and bit of nervous laughter to clear the air.

"Why are me making all this fuss over the bride? All she has is plain old white dress, mine's blue and much more exciting," her maid of honor said with her cinnamon eyes sparkling, "Come on you two beauties, let's have some fun!"

"You know what I think we need to do," she said to her daughter and her daughter's best friend, "We need to do some serious shopping. You may have your wedding gown but you can't wear it the whole time you're on your honeymoon, now can you?"

The two younger women broke into squeals and claps of joy and then went to change out of their wedding finery.

_But if you want to leave, take good care  
>Hope you have a lot of nice thing<em>_s to wear  
>'Cuz a lot of things bad out there<em>

"Late! Shit, babe, we are so late! Your sister is going to tear our eyes out," she yelled trying to fix her crazy, chestnut hair into some order.

"These days, my sister will do that for any reason," he said in her ear form behind, "Being a litter later won't do much harm," and then playfully nipped her earlobe.

She swatted his distracting touch away and absentmindedly murmured, "Not now, no time."

A hurt look clouded his sapphire eyes and he turned to leave the bathroom of the cozy flat they shared but before he could exit the room, she dropped her curls and grabbed his arm instead, "Now sweetheart, you know that we have a date with your sister and a whole lot of flowers. I'm her maid of honor, she needs my help," she tried to explain, "You're not mad, are you? Tell me you're not mad."

He tool one look at those pools of melted chocolate and sighed, "Of course I'm not mad at you. With this darn wedding, it feels like I never see you anymore. That stupid green-eyes is the only man I could ever allow to take you away from me so much. Oh well, I'd better let you get ready," and with a squeeze of her soft hand, he turned to go.

She felt a wave of guilt wash over her, "Hold it handsome, get your cute butt back here," and she yanked her boyfriend back into her arms and melted him with a searing kiss.

"Mmmmm, now that's more like it. But what about the flowers?"

"Oh screw the flowers," she murmured against his protestations.

"Where the hell are they? They were supposed to be here a half an hour ago," a very tense, young, red-headed woman demanded of the man whose arm she was clasped onto.

"Blaze, darling, calm down. They haven't been alone in weeks, they've been working on our wedding," he folded her into his arms and gave her a calming hug.

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, their best friends hurried into the shop overflowing with blossoms. They moseyed over to the waiting couple and spouted off excuses for their tardiness.

"Alright, alright, let's get down to business, we have flowers to choose," the bride said, getting them to focus on the task in front of them, "I want white, lots and lots of white."

Little did she know that everyone else would have a million other ideas.

After what seemed like hours of arguing over which blossoms would go with what dresses and which flowers everyone could come close to without sneezing, the bride lost it, "Look, I know what I want! Honestly, I don't care what everyone else thinks or wants! This is my wedding, my wedding! Do you hear me?"

"Blaze, darling, calm down, we'll get you what you want. If you'll just wait a …"

But she interrupted her soon to be husband, "No , I will not wait any longer," stamping her feet like a small child.

Her fiancée looked helplessly form his two best friends to the enraged young woman he should have known how to comfort. He seemed to make a decision and turned, with terror in his eyes, towards her but was stopped by a firm hand on his arm. He turned his charcoal head towards his best friend and her brother, "Let me do this mate. I've lived with Weasley women all of my life. You're just a rookie yet. Don't worry, you'll have plenty of time to figure her out yet," he said with a wink and made his way towards his sister.

"Little one," he began in a muted voice, "Come with me."

Maybe it was the tone of his voice, maybe it was the conciseness of his statement, or maybe it was his childhood nickname of her that caught her attention but whatever it was she quietly took his offered hand and brother and sister exited the shop to the sunshine outdoors.

"Little one, what is it? What is this really about? You can't care this much about the flowers," the young man asked his distressed sister.

"I feel like I'm loosing control of everything with this wedding. There is so much to do and no one is listening to me. It's like I'm a little girl again, playing with Mum's clothes and makeup," a sob choked her words to stopping.

"The thing is, you're not a little girl anymore. With this wedding, you're leaving that portion of your life behind. You need to let go of that feeling. The reason you're spinning out of control is because you don't think you belong . Little one, you're not that child anymore, you're a woman and this is your wedding, stop stressing and start enjoying it."

She looked at her brother, tears shocked out of her by the wisdom that her brother had just uttered. This was her brother, the most dense guy on the face of the earth. It took him nine years to finally realize that the bushy haired brunette who had been his best friend for equally as long was much more important than a friend. Where in the world had this random burst of wisdom come from?

Her look of shock must have been more pronounced than she had meant or known because he spoke up again, " Hey don't look at me like that. Don't forget that I was your first best friend. I will always know you better than you think. Just because I don't always say the right thing, doesn't mean that I can't ever say it. Little one , you're my little sister, my best friend, and soon you're going to be the wife of my best guy. You will be happy and your day will be perfect," he gave her a strong hug and then a gentle push towards the flower shop.

She set off towards the shop and he watched the young woman walk away. She had grown so much. Gone was the chubby baby fat, replaced by a slender, woman's figure. No longer were there two short, curly pig tails on top of her head but rich, golden, red hair that washed down her back in heavy layers. His little sister had certainly grown up but as she turned to look back at him, he could still see that chubby, be-ribboned child that he had grown up with. At that moment he realized that that child and her time was really over and she was now a woman. He also knew that although this time now belonged to the green-eyed man as her best friend and soul mate, the time with that child had belonged to him. They had bee the first friends that they had and needed, the first childhood bond that had been made.

_Oh baby, baby it's a wild world  
>It's hard to get by just upon a smile<br>Oh baby, baby it's a wild world  
>And I'll always remember you as a child, girl<em>

The young bride sat at the worn, smooth kitchen table, sorting through the stack of RSVP cards. She set the "unable to attend" cards aside and grouped the others in front of her. Then she began to read off the names of those who has accepted attendance to her mother for the list she was making. With each name she read off, a bought of memories and warmth visited her. She was so very excited that all of these people that she had known, loved, and admired over the years were going to be there to celebrate the most important day of her life.

"So that's all of your brothers," her mom began, breaking her out of her reverie, "Wait there's someone missing. That's all of your brothers except…Oh," her mother gasped and let the list flutter to the ground.

"Mum, what's wrong? What is it," she approached her mother but before she got to her, her mother pulled back the chair and ran out of the room. Alarmed b her mother's abrupt departure and seeing the list as the cause of it, she scrambled under the table to recover the lost parchment.

She scanned the long sheet of names, hoping to be privy to what has caused her mother's distress. She had been saying something about her brothers. She surveyed the list until she reached the section where her brothers and their respective dates and or families. She ran down the five names, everything seemed to be in order and then she realized, there were only five names, she had six brothers.

"Of course," she murmured underneath her breath. It all made sense. Her absent brother, Percy, who had been gone since she had been 14. It had been such a long time , she had gotten used to the hollow ache that had once been filled by her ambitious brother. It had torn the family apart, each of the members dealing with the betrayal in their own way. With the time that had passed, each of them had dealt with the loss, the twins refused to acknowledge that they even had another brother, her youngest brother suggested breaking into his flat and cursing the living daylights out of him and the older two simply shook their heads and muttered about how they had expected it all along. But their mother, their mother said and did nothing. In their family, it had always been their mother with the temper who did the yelling and their father who retired to the background. This time their mother simply continued to wash the dishes. The only change in her had been her face going completely white.

After her brother had left the family, her mother never mentioned his name again. If he was brought up, she simply left the room and usually disappeared for an hour or two only to return intent on doing any and every chore possible. And of course no one was to mention her red eyes and occasional sniffles. Those sniffles that she was now hearing. She lay the sheet of parchment on the table and made her way to her parents bedroom. She opened the door and there was her mother sitting on the bed holding something in her hand, quite obviously crying.

The young woman made her way into her mother's room. She sat down next to the older woman and pulled her mother into her arms, "Mum it's OK. He hasn't contacted us in years. I never expected him to come."

"Darling, when you have children you will understand. It doesn't matter how many children you have or how old they are, they, each and every one, is a part of you for the rest of your life. I have watched all of your brothers and you grow up and take on new lives. You all have moved on but you still want me in your lives, you want me to see my grandchildren, you want me at your wedding. He doesn't want me there. My son doesn't love me anymore," her mother fingered the photo in her hand, "I'm a bad mother."

"Oh, Mum you are a wonderful mother. It is not your fault that he left. He got involved with the wrong people and you add his ambition to that …Well , there was nothing we could do. Mum you still have to rest of us."

Her mother began to cry again and the young bride let her mother cry out her pain on her shoulder. She couldn't help but hope that her own children would not put her through the pain that she could see her mother experiencing.

_You know I've seen a lot of what the world can do  
>And it's breaking my heart in two<br>Because I never want to see you sad girl  
>Don't be a bad girl<br>But if you want to leave, take good care  
>Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there<br>But just remember there's a lot of bad an beware_

The restaurant was perfect, the meal perfect, the waiters perfect, and the company, of course, was perfect. The only thing that wasn't perfect was the time it was taking for the dessert to come. The raven-haired husband to be rose to have words with the staff but his fiery-headed fiancée put her small had on his arm, stopping him. She herself rose and went over to the maitre-d. At first she smiled and charmed the man but that seemed to do no good, so her tactics changed. Soon she stomped back to the table in a huff which seemed to convey that she efforts hadn't really done much to help.

Her eldest brother rose and began to speak, "Well now, since we obviously have some time to burn, I'd like to say a few things. I've always said that once the little one get's married, I would officially be an old man. Well, everyone I am an old man. Don't you all laugh, it's true. I was ten years old when the last Weasley baby was born and honestly the last thing that I wanted was another little brother. I was already the full time babysitter and another brother meant even less time to myself.

Well, that fateful day in August arrived and, like clockwork I was left in charge of my five younger brothers as my parents went off to St. Mungo's. I waded through all of the twin's mayhem, my prissy younger brother locking himself in his room to take over the world or something, my closest younger brother bringing snakes and lizards into the house and the baby constantly crying for Mummy. I waded through the baths and suppertime and stories and bedtimes and then was to wait until my father came home.

It was long after midnight when the fire glowed green and my weary father stumbled through, "Aaahh, my little king, is everyone else in bed?"

I nodded a reply, to tired to speak and let him lead me up to bed. I collapsed into it without so much as brushing my teeth. Before I fell asleep I remember asking, "What's the new brother's name?"

The next morning, I woke up to a very quiet house. At first I thought that I had woke up very early and no one else was awake but then I was the clock and it was much too late for everyone else to be sleeping. Quickly I threw on a robe and went down to the kitchen. The only person there was Dad, no brothers in sight.

"Where are all the boys Dad," I remember asking.

"They've all gone off to different friends. I thought that you should be the first to meet the baby and all of them needen't be running about. So get ready little king and we'll be off," Dad had said, calmly sipping his tea.

I don't remember any time when I got ready quicker but within the hour we were stepping into the fire bound for St. Mungo's.

As we neared Mum's room, I nervously played with the frayed edges of my robes, picturing another beat red, squalling brother to move into the house. But let me tell you, I was severely shocked when I saw the baby. Dad went in before me and soon I heard Mum's voice calling to me. I shuffled in with feigned indifference of a ten-year-old who truly misses his mother.

"Come here my little king," she called to me, offering a hand which I readily took and snuggled close to her, "Have you minded everyone at home?"

I nodded an emphatic yes and threw my arms around Mum and gave her a hug.

"Would you like to meet the new baby who is to come home with us?"

Again I nodded, maybe not so enthusiastically this time, and waited for the customary bundle. My father went to the crib and reached inside. He crossed the room and laid the baby in my arms. To my surprise, when I looked down, the baby wasn't screaming and he was a she! I had a little sister and she was the prettiest thing I'd ever seen.

"What do you think? I thought we had enough boys for now! Isn't she beautiful," Mum asked, laughter tinkling in her voice.

And she was. And now that beautiful baby in a beautiful woman who is about to be married. But you remember missy, after Dad, I was the first man in your young life," he finished his toast with a wink, and a hug. And then, so it seemed the bride's persuasion paid off and dessert came to the joyous bunch.

_Oh baby, baby it's a wild world  
>It's hard to get by just upon a smile<br>Oh baby, baby it's a wild world  
><em>_And I'll always remember you as a child, girl_

There was her daughter, standing before her, in the perfect wedding dress that she had shown her months earlier. The only difference between then and this moment was, this was her daughter's wedding day. The day had finally arrived and in a few minutes she was going to walk down the aisle.

"Oh Mummy, I'm finally going to get married. Can you believe it," she exclaimed full of joy.

"My darling, darling baby, I can hardly believe it," she chocked out, trying to stop the happy tears from falling.

"No, no, no, Mummy, no tears. I won't have any tears from you today, only happiness," the bride exclaimed, hugging her mother, " Now go on, it's your turn soon."

And her mother did one of the hardest things she had ever done, she turned and walked away form her baby girl, never to have her baby any more.

But just before she left, she heard her daughter's soft voice say, almost reading her bittersweet thoughts, "I'm always going to be your little girl Mummy. I love you."

She turned and replied, "I love you too, baby."

As mother of the bride, she was escorted to her special seat and the ceremony officially began. Before her daughter appeared, the young husband came out and her youngest son after. On the bride's side the beautiful brunette who was the apple of her son's eye was now placed. She looked at theses three young people who, wither her daughter, had changed and saved the world. She knew that in the company of these young ones, her daughter would never want for anything. She knew that the world was not perfect but with them as a group, they would be able to take on anything. She knew that the time for her as the doting parent was over and a new season in her daughter's life had begun. That season was beginning at that moment with her trip down the aisle.

_Baby, I love you  
>But if you wanna leave, take good care<br>Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there  
>Just remember there's a lot of bad and beware<em>

"You look radiant girl-child. Are you at least a little bit happy," her father whispered in her ear looking down on her and smiling.

"Yes daddy, oh yes," the blushing bride smiled up form her father's arms swaying back and forth. This was the father, daughter dance, the last time for her to feel like a little girl in her daddy's arms. She no longer was standing on his feet, or sitting in his arms but she had never felt more like his little girl.

Her father looked down at the red-head against his chest and felt a surge of fatherly pride wash over him. This was his only girl-child and she had grown up to be an amazing creature. She was a beautiful, graceful, talented, intelligent woman who was now setting off on the ultimate journey, a family of her own. He was so proud of her, what she had accomplished, and who she had become. He dropped a soft kiss on her head and gave her a tight hug. Then he looked up at all of the people who had been invited to the reception and his eyes settled on the green-eyed husband of his daughter. He knew that his was the time that he had released the child in his arms to the new man in her life. As her father, he would always have those past memories and his daughter's childhood in his.

He called to the young man, "Come here. She's your girl now."

"No, Daddy, the song isn't over, we still have the dance to finish," she whispered to him.

"Darling, I have to let you go. You have a husband now. I have to let you be with him. Goodbye girl-child, you're a woman now," he said, taking her hand and putting it in the outstretched hand offered to her. Then he turned to go to his wife, leaving a woman on the dance floor and taking with him the memories of his girl-child.

And on the dance floor, Ginevra Molly Potter smiled into the brilliant eyes of Harry James Potter and together they dreamed of her own children's weddings.  
><em><br>Oh baby, baby it's a wild world  
>It's hard to get by just upon a smile<br>Oh baby, baby it's a wild world  
>And I'll always remember you like a child, girl<em>


End file.
